Aer Rianta loses charges challenge

AER RIANTA yesterday failed in its High Court challenge to the methods used by the Commissioner for Aviation Regulation to specify the maximum levels of airport charges that may be levied for five years at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.

The board of Aer Rianta will consider whether it will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court following consultation with its legal advisers. Mr Justice O’Sullivan in a 115-page judgement said the commissioner, in carrying out his duty of regulating airport charges, has a “positive duty to aim to facilitate the development of cost effective airports.”

The judge said it was clearly within the contemplation of the Aviation Regulation Act 2001 that the commissioner would consider the capital expenditure past, present and future of the Aer Rianta in order to meet the overall objective imposed on him.